The Meeting (Part 1)
by SmittenKitten
Summary: Things heat up as Jake ad Alex talk about the business their in...


To catch a criminal, you have to become one.  
  
Players: Alex Cross, Jake Shaw  
  
Puzzle: To help Alex over her fears  
  
A shadowed figure walks down a dark, dreary ally. A cold rainy winter Chicago night. Crunch, Crunch. Go the footsteps along the shady passageway, treading over the broken rocks, and the worn down stones that compose the bedding. The figure's over coat sway as the light, but misty, Chicago fog enfolds him. Silence.  
  
A distant cell phone rings...  
  
"Hello. Jake Shaw."  
  
The unknown voice on the other end makes itself familiar.  
  
"Oh Jake, Thank God you're there." Says fellow agent Alex Cross. "I need to speak to you, to have a moment alone."  
  
"Sure, no problem. Its funny you called, I need to talk to you too. Let's say the gym, I'll meet you in 10 minutes?" Jake says.  
  
"Great. I need a friend."  
  
[10 minutes later at the gym]  
  
"Alex, what's wrong? You sounded tense and worried it everything OK?" Jake says comforting as a friend.  
  
"I guess so. But I think it's crucial for me to be with someone that's more than a friend for me." Blushing lightly, Alex looks away from the face of Jake.  
  
"Well, if that's all it is, than we can talk." Says Jake.  
  
"No, it's more." Alex looks away from the floor, and into Jake's eyes. "These feeling about everything are just so hard to put behind me. Do you have them too?"  
  
"Well, About my personal life, no. But about work, yes. I feel like I'm too involved."  
  
"Donovan's been pushing for that story that we cracked last week. You think he would be more concerned about other things..."  
  
"I know what you mean. You know Alex, when we were... uh, Ok this is slightly embarrassing for me but... when we were stripped to get undercover to get that story on the bus. I... I couldn't help but notice you differently." Jake's eyes go halfway to Alex's but them drop suddenly to the ground.  
  
Jake notices that he isn't the only one blushing. He notices Alex avoiding eye contact with him as well.  
  
"Well, I saw you in a different way also. I mean, not in a bad way. Just, different. I can't begin to search for the words to describe it. I never expected all that to happen."  
  
"Well, I couldn't help but notice that you stayed so calm, so smooth in all that chaos."  
  
"It's my job. And anyway I couldn't help but notice that you were very edgy about it all."  
  
They both break up the tension with a small, but much needed laugh.  
  
Alex breathes in a quiet sigh, and starts to get up over to Jake. But instead of going straight to him, she grabs her purse that's right nest to him.  
  
"I need a smoke."  
  
As she reaches over, Jake grabs it for her, and gives it to her.  
  
She takes out a pack of Virginia Slims, and fumbles with the lighter to get it open.  
  
Then all of a sudden Alex looks over and feels Jake's eyes on hers. She can't help but smile, and look up to him. As their eyes meet, they can see through to one another's souls. They see the pains, loves, fears and hopes of all the years of working and fighting to stay alive. They see only the good qualities, the kind that you can only see after years of passion and hurt. They share a perfect moment. And when they look deeper and deeper they can see -  
  
"Cough! Cough!"  
  
The silence is broken by Alex who exhales too deeply on her cigarette.  
  
"You know Alex; you shouldn't keep that habit." Says a concerned Jake.  
  
"I know, bit I feel like its the only thing I can hold on to. Its the only thing that ever been loyal to me. I mean, after Keller was shot, and Carlos just abandons me, and all those one night stands... I just... its so hard."  
  
Now the tears were literally pouring down Alex's face. She felt so abandon, so alone.  
  
"That's why I'm here for you. Come here."  
  
Jake offered her his hand, as a sign of friendship and caring. Alex didn't take it. Instead she just embraced him, and he felt her sobbing on his shoulder.  
  
After five of so minutes of intense sobbing, Alex sniffles a bit, and wipes off her eyes, which are running with mascara.  
  
"I'm sorry... I just... Sometimes I'm not myself. I'm sorry you had to see that. It doesn't happen much."  
  
Alex looks away from Jake's stare and was very embarrassed.  
  
"Well, it's nice to see you like that. You're open. You're yourself." Jake said.  
  
They look into each other's eyes, as to give each other the look of death. Alex looks away, and clears her throat.  
  
"Anyway, you sounded like you had something important to say before."  
  
Jake suddenly snaps out of it.  
  
"Oh, yah. How can you keep cool, in a tense situation that you know is going to effect your personal life? Weren't you worried about our friendship?"  
  
"Not really. We're fine and everything. I mean sometimes we have to pretend to be together at work-"  
  
"No. I mean between 'US'."  
  
"There's a 'US'?" Alex asked up frontally.  
  
"Well I like to think of it as that. Not so far as a committed relationship, but I think we're more than just friends."  
  
"Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't sound as weird. I never really thought that we would make it to that level." Alex said wonderingly.  
  
"Oh no. I'm scaring you, aren't I? All this talk about relationships, and commitment. I know what you're going through. I'm sorry. I was only thinking of myself."  
  
"No, Jake, no. Thank you. It means a lot to me after what I'm going through. Its always good to have someone who's 'more than a friend' around. It's just what I need, and I love you for that."  
  
Alex regretted those last few words she said, but she knew that you couldn't take words back. What was said is said. She hoped for an instant that Jake wouldn't hear those words. But then he did something to change her mind. He leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back. In that moment both of them knew more than just a 'friendship' was going on. 


End file.
